Guest Chick: J.C. Kenney

Ellen here, and I’m so happy to welcome J.C. Kenney to the Chicks for the first of what we hope will be many times. J.C. writes The Allie Cobb Mysteries. Do you love cats? Read this flat-out charming post, my friends…

Happy Birthday, Maria!

Hi, folks! I’m J.C. Kenney, author of The Allie Cobb Mysteries, and I’m so excited to be hanging out with you all today. First, it’s a real thrill to be a guest on The Chicks on the Case blog. What an amazing group of authors, right? Second, I’m celebrating a birthday.This month, my family’s cat, Maria turns eight years old! Cue the confetti and kitty treats. We adopted her from the local Humane Society when she was two years old and life hasn’t been the same ever since. Over the years, she’s become the main character of my Monday Morning Maria social media posts and the basis for the cat Ursula in my Allie Cobb Mysteries books.

Maria’s birthday got me thinking about all the years I’ve lived with a cat. My first memories of living with a fur baby were of Shadow, an old, black tom my family had when I was little. After Shadow passed on, my family’s next cat was Ching, a Siamese we got when I was in the seventh grade.

Ching and I were inseparable, and she was one of my best friends during my high school and college years. She did love to yowl at my bedroom door to let me know she didn’t appreciate it when I closed it all the way, though.

Ching’s successor in my life was Jake, a stray my wife, Nancy, and I adopted. Jake had a snow-white coat and eyes as blue as a clear sky. He was an independent soul who and refused to sleep with us until one winter night when the thermometer dropped below zero. He was no dummy. A warm bed with his humans was way better than a cold floor.
Jake was a good cat. He lives with us through four different moves and the births of both of our boys. After a long life, Jake passed away in 2004, and my family went almost a decade without a fur baby in the house. It was the longest period in my life without a feline or canine companion.

Then, at my sons’ request we decided to get another cat, and Maria joined the family in February 2014. She bossy, assertive, and demanding. She’s also snuggly, loving, and the best lap cat I could ask for.
So, when I do the math, I’ve spent about 37 of my 53 years on the planet with a feline companion in the house. Given that, I guess it’s no surprise I have a shirt that reads “Cat Dad” or a sign in my office that says “I ♥︎ Cats,” or a pair of ceramic Siamese cats on my headboard. I think you get the idea.

So, how about you all? Do you have a special something in your life that adds to the joy of living? It could be a cat or a dog or a plant or a favorite hobby. Tell me about them. And I’ll be sure to tell birthday girl Maria all about them. Until next time, cheers!
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BIO: J.C. Kenney is the author of the Allie Cobb Mysteries, which are set in the fictional small town of Rushing Creek, Indiana. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife, two sons, and a snuggly kitty cat. He loves motor sports, so when he’s not writing, you can probably find him checking in on the latest from IndyCar and other forms of racing. His latest cozy mystery is A Genuine Fix, from Kensington Publishing. For more information about it, go here: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/37650

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27 thoughts on “Guest Chick: J.C. Kenney”

Welcome, J.C.! Cats certainly do make life better, don’t they? I’ve had my cats Molly and Anna Belle for seven years now, and it’s hard to remember what life was like without them around. Happy birthday to Maria!

Thanks so much for the warm welcome, Marla! Totally agree with you about cats. I love all fur babies, but kitties are the one for me. Please say hi to Molly and Anna Belle for me and I’ll pass your birthday wishes on to Maria.

Nicest to meet you! I have both of your books in my TBR stack. I’ll have them move them up to the top so I can read them soon…in order, of course! 😊 I’m allergic to cats, but I have a great Black Lab named Bandit.

Thanks very much for your support, Christi. I appreciate it! I totally get it about allergies to cats. I have a brother-in-law with the same condition. Black Labs are wonderful dogs and I’ll bet Bandit is the bestest of friends! 🙂

Welcome, J.C., and happy birthday, Maria! I’ve loved getting to know Maria on social media, and very much enjoyed reading about all of the feline friends in your life. So wonderful!

I was always a dog person until my husband and I got Oscar, a quirky Himalayan who doubled as a weighted blanket. It was love at first purr. He passed away at the ripe old age of 17, and we haven’t yet welcomed a new kitty into our home. I hope to do so soon!

We had cats growing up, but as an adult I’ve had only dogs. But no matter which, I couldn’t imagine life without a furry family member! Happy birthday to Maria, and thanks so much for visiting the Chicks today, J.C.!

Awww, happy birthday, Maria!!! And thank you, JC, for celebrating the big occasion with us on Chicks. Loved this post. We have an out-of-control Golden Retriever and a very IN control black cat who basically runs the household. We adopted Lucy (aka Luci-fur) as a Lonely Hearts pet 3 years ago. My husband, who always claimed he hated cats and was deathly allergic, is now completely under her spell. I hear them having literal conversations when he doesn’t know I’m listening.

Hello J. C. Nice to meet you and I will definitely check out your books. I started out like you with a black tom cat that just appeared at my house and I named Panther Muffin. This was when I was about 6 or be.fore Then after numerous cat fights and living outside, he was gone. I do not remember what happened as I was so young. But he would let me do everything to him–hold him, dress him up, etc. He would eat anything as long as it had mayonnaise on it. Then we got a Siamese named Tinka. She was not a kitten, so had issues. She did not last long with us as she peed in the sink and slept in her litter box and bit my mother’s ankles. So she had to go. We have been dog people ever since 1959. They make your life whole and the house feel full.